Latest news with #Leavitt
Business Insider
19 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
White House suggests Trump doesn't want Elon Musk's xAI to have federal contracts
President Donald Trump may be at odds with his own administration over Elon Musk's AI company. When White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked by a reporter on Wednesday whether the president supported federal agencies contracting with Musk's xAI, she indicated that he does not. "I don't think so, no," Leavitt replied. That's despite the Department of Defense recently announcing a contract of up to $200 million with the company. "I'll talk to him about it," Leavitt replied when asked whether Trump would like to see existing contracts cancelled. — bryan metzger (@metzgov) July 23, 2025 The White House did not respond to requests for clarification of Leavitt's comments. xAI did not immediately return a request for comment. xAI recently launched a suite of government-focused products called "Grok for Government," saying that other federal agencies can purchase those tools through the General Services Administration. After forging a political alliance that lasted for nearly a year, Trump and Musk's relationship blew up in early June over the tech titan's objections to the deficit impacts of the "Big Beautiful Bill." One of Musk's other major companies, SpaceX, still has contracts with the federal government despite the feud.
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
US President Trump 'caught off guard' by Israeli strikes in Syria
U.S. President Donald Trump was "caught off guard" by Israeli strikes in Syria last week, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Monday, adding that he discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel had launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida, saying it aimed to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region amid ongoing clashes there. Trump "was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza," Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing. "In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations," she continued. Netanyahu had visited the White House earlier this month, his third trip since Trump returned to power on Jan. 20. "The president enjoys a good working relationship with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and stays in, you know, frequent communication with him," Leavitt said. "When it came to Syria, we saw a de-escalation there." Israel and Syria on Friday entered a U.S.-brokered cease-fire. Also on Friday, PM Netanyahu called Pope Leo to express regret at the strike on the Catholic church in Gaza, blaming a "stray missile." In May, Trump met with Syria's Islamist president Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia shortly after lifting many longstanding U.S. sanctions against Damascus. Trump later praised the leader, who led a major armed group that was once aligned with Al Qaeda and toppled the Syrian government in December. The United States removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Opposite Of Reality': Critics Torch Karoline Leavitt's Bold New Claim About Trump
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is facing criticism for a new claim about President Donald Trump that many are calling simply unbelievable. The moment came when a reporter asked Leavitt about the frustration among Trump's MAGA base over the failure to release files related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Trump and those around him had repeatedly promised. Leavitt said Trump's as popular among the GOP base as ever. 'The president is the creator and the leader of the Make America Great Again movement. It's his baby that he made and he knows what his supporters want,' Leavitt said. 'It's transparency, and he has given them that on all accounts when it comes to everything this administration has done.' She pointed to Trump's frequent interactions with the media as an example of that transparency, and claimed 'no question is off limits.' However, Trump often attacks reporters for asking questions he doesn't like rather than providing answers. When a reporter asked about the optics of Trump accepting a free airplane from Qatar in May, for example, Trump fired back: 'You should be embarrassed asking that question.' He's also been accused of doing anything he can to distract from the Epstein case, such as attacking former President Barack Obama, suing the Wall Street Journal, and threatening sports teams. Many pointed out that failing to release the files isn't transparent at all:
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump ‘caught off guard' by recent Israeli strikes in Syria and Gaza, says White House
US President Donald Trump was 'caught off guard' by the recent Israeli strikes in Syria and the IDF shelling that hit a Catholic Church in Gaza, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday (July 22). The incidents drew a prompt reaction from the US President, who called his staunch ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to 'rectify' the situation, the White House press secretary said. 'The president enjoys a good working relationship with Bibi Netanyahu and stays in frequent communication with him. He was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic Church in Gaza,' Leavitt told reporters. 'In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations,' she added. Trump 'wants the killing to end': Leavitt Leavitt said that Trump was deeply concerned about the increasing death toll in war-torn Gaza and that he wants the bloodbath to end. 'The president's message on this conflict we've seen in the Middle East taking place for far too long, that has become quite brutal, especially in recent days, you've seen reports of more people dying. I think the president never likes to see that. He wants the killing to end, and he wants to negotiate a ceasefire in this region,' the White House press secretary said. 'He wants to see all of the hostages released from Gaza. That has been a top priority for this president,' she added. Trump is pressing for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza and is also attempting to support the new Syrian government. However, the military operations by Israel have jeopardised these initiatives. Last week, the IDF strike on a Catholic church in the besieged Palestinian enclave, killing three people, sparked massive outrage. Additionally, Israel intervened during the latest outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria, bombing the country's capital, Damascus. Trump's special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, told The Associated Press that Israel's intervention in Syria 'creates another very confusing chapter' and 'came at a very bad time.' Leavitt further emphasised that Trump wanted to see peace and applauded his efforts to push humanitarian aid into Gaza. 'The president is the reason that aid is even being distributed in Gaza at all,' she said. 'It's a very difficult and complicated situation that the president inherited because of the weakness of the last administration. And I think he should be applauded,' Leavitt added. 'The president wants to see peace, and he's been pretty clear on that.' (With inputs from agencies)
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump 'serious' about Washington Commanders threat, White House says
Washington retired the name Redskins in July 2020 amid nationwide protests over race, initially becoming the Washington Football Team for two seasons, and then rebranding as the Washington Commanders in 2022. Longtime owner Daniel Snyder in 2023 sold the team to a new ownership group led by billionaire investor Josh Harris, who has elected to keep Commanders as the name and has called the debate settled. Leavitt did not address how Trump has the power to restrict the team's planned relocation back to the site of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in D.C., which served as Washington's home stadium from 1961 to 1996, before the team's move to Landover, Maryland. Trump's ability to unilaterally scrap the team's deal for a new stadium to return to the RFK site appears doubtful after Congress passed a law in December that transferred ownership of the RFK stadium site from the National Park Service to the District of Columbia. The $3.7 billion stadium deal, which includes $1.1 billion in local taxpayer funds, is in the hands of the D.C. Council, which is nearing a vote on the project. However, Trump has shown a willingness in other political battles to threaten federal funding from states, cities, colleges and universities to get his way. Another route could be to lobby Republicans in Congress to rescind the land transfer bill they passed last year. More: Trump threatens Washington Commanders' stadium plans if franchise doesn't change name White House doubles down on Trump's threat Leavitt pointed to Trump's reputation as a dealmaker. "As part of the 'art of the deal,' part of his negotiating skills, as you know, sports is one of the many passions of this president and he wants to see this team's name changed," she said. When asked to explain Trump's authority to block the Commanders' stadium deal, a White House official directed USA TODAY to Leavitt's remarks. More: DC locals on Trump's attempt to force Commanders' name change: Stay in your 'own lane' The Commanders, which enjoyed its most successful season in decades after making it to the NFC Championship Game last year, have not commented since Trump brought up the team's name in a Truth Social post on Sunday. In the same post, Trump called on another professional sports team that was previously named for native Americans - the Cleveland Guardians, formerly the Indians - to go back to its old name. "The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this," Trump wrote. "Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!" Trump had previously voiced support for the team's former name, but it marked the first time he has used his position to call for a name change. He followed it up with a subsequent post suggesting he might hold up the team's stadium plans if it doesn't ditch Commanders and go back to its former name. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,'" Trump wrote. "I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone." DC mayor focuses on council, not Trump Under the Constitution, Congress has authority over the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973, gave the city local governance including an elected mayor and city council. However, Congress can still review all legislation passed by the D.C. Council and retains authority over the district's budget. No sign off from Trump is required for approval of the Commanders' stadium deal. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who helped orchestrate the stadium deal, deflected when a reporter asked her Monday whether she believes Trump has the power to block the Commanders' stadium deal. "I think the thing that we should focus on in D.C. is doing our part," Bowser said, adding that the council still needs to approve the stadium deal. "We need to complete our part." Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has often talked about taking over the governance of D.C., a city he has long derided for crime and homelessness. Nevertheless, Trump hosted Bowser and the Commanders' Harris at the White House in May to announce Washington's National Mall would host the 2027 NFL Draft. "I think you've seen the president gets involved in a lot of things that most presidents have not," Leavitt said when asked why changing the Commanders' name is a priority for Trump. "He's a nontraditional president. He likes to see results on behalf of the American people." She added that Trump is getting behind something most Americans want. "If you actually poll this issue with sports fans across the country and even in this city, people actually do support the president's position on this and the name change," Leavitt said. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
